MYSTERY PROVIDER SECURES £1.5MILLION-A-YEAR ISLE OF WIGHT FAMILY SUPPORT CONTRACT

A contract worth more than £1.5million a year to provide vital early help and family support services to thousands of parents, babies, children and young people across the Isle of Wight has been given the go-ahead.

Existing arrangements with the charity, Barnardo’s, are due to end in March 2027.

A new provider – whose identity is for now confidential – has been chosen to deliver the Early Intervention and Prevention Service (EIPS) after a seven-bidder procurement process and a vote by the children’s services, education and skills committee.

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The EIPS provides multi-agency early help to expectant parents and those with babies, children and young people aged 0-19 and up to 25 for SEND, delivered through Family Hubs and Centres.

The new contract is for an initial term of three years starting on 1st April 2027, with the option to extend for up to 3 further periods of 1 year.

Cllr Ros Freeman, Reform UK chair of the children’s services, education and skills committee, read out the approved decision at a meeting last week. She said:

“We’ve had our private discussions, and all raised the relevant points.

“The recommendation is to award the contract after private discussion and as detailed by the officers, with the proviso we have an annual report which is in consultation with the chair.”

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Before the private discussion, Cllr Freeman said there was a delay in bringing the matter to the committee.

She said Ashley Whittaker, strategic director of children’s services at the council, had explained to her there was an ‘oversight’ in the procurement process which she added in hindsight should have taken place ‘potentially in March’.

“I did say to Ashley that I didn’t think this could ever happen again and he apologised and confirmed it would not happen again.”

Cllr Andrew Garratt, of the Liberal Democrats, later said there is a ‘governance issue’ and that council officers have ‘profusely apologised’ which he accepted.

“I’m very keen on governance but I’m also very aware that people are human beings,”

The completed procurement process has showed a ‘strong and competitive’ market response and identified a highest-scoring compliant bidder, a council report published prior to the meeting said.

“Awarding the contract will ensure the continued delivery of the Island’s Early Help and Family Help Services and the Family Hub offer from April 2027, providing integrated support for children, young people and families from pre-birth through to adulthood,” the document said.

After last week’s meeting, independent councillor Karl Love told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that without naming anyone, County Hall has previously committed to contracts at council meetings with ‘little or no understanding of them’. He said:

“We need more transparency and I will not back away from this responsibility.

“Of course there are times when confidentiality is important and that needs to be respected.”